Salary is one of the most important factors when accepting a job offer in another country. If you are planning to move to Austria, then it is necessary to know about the current salaries in the market so that you can realistically assess your opportunities in this country.
Salaries in Austria vary greatly across different positions. Your skill level, age, city, length of service and education will also affect your salary.
Average salary in 2022-2023
The annual average salary in Austria in 2023 before taxes is 65,600 euros. The most common is 48,300 euros.
The monthly salary is in the range of 3,450 – 4,100 euros. After taxes – 2,380 euros. For a comfortable life in the cities of Austria, a monthly salary of 2,000 to 3,000 euros is enough.
The average monthly salary is on par with much of Western Europe and Scandinavia and much higher than in Eastern Europe.
There is no concept of a “minimum wage” in Austria, but since 2017 in the country it has actually been set at 1,500 euros per month.
Over the past 10 years, wages in Austria have only been growing. The annual increase is 2%.
| Year | Salary per month in euros |
| 2013 | 2 800 |
| 2014 | 2 870 |
| 2015 | 2 935 |
| 2016 | 2,990 |
| 2017 | 3,050 |
| 2018 | 3 110 |
| 2019 | 3 180 |
| 2020 | 3 240 |
| 2021 | 3 300 |
| 2022 | 3 380 |
| 2023 | 3 450 |
In Austria there are 13th and 14th salaries , the first is paid in June and the second in December. Their availability depends on the organization in which you will work, but most Austrian companies provide additional payments.
Average salary by sector
Salaries in the public sector in Austria are on average 6-7% higher than in the private sector.
| Sector | In year | Per month |
| Private | 49,560 EUR | 3 540 EUR |
| State | 53 340 EUR | 3 810 EUR |
Average salary by city in Austria
The average salary differs between cities in Austria. The highest salaries are in Vienna, and the lowest in Wiener Neustadt and Dornbirn.
| City | Salary per month in euros |
| Vein | 4 450 |
| Graz | 4 200 |
| Salzburg | 3 900 |
| Bregenz | 3 800 |
| Insburg | 3 750 |
| Linz | 3 570 |
| Eisenstadt | 3 410 |
| Klagenfurt | 3 350 |
| St. Pölten | 3 290 |
| Wels | 3 200 |
| Dornbirn | 3 150 |
| Wiener Neustadt | 3,050 |
Salaries in Austria by industry in 2023
| Industries | Salary per month in EUR |
| Agriculture | 2 700 |
| Arts and culture | 2 950 |
| Banking | 4 300 |
| Automotive | 3 250 |
| Trade | 3 400 |
| Construction | 3 760 |
| Education | 3 110 |
| Electronics | 3 650 |
| Information Technology | 4 700 |
| Journalism | 3 100 |
| Management | 5 300 |
| Marketing advertising | 3 800 |
| Technology development | 4,840 |
| Textile | 2 230 |
| Transport | 3 100 |
Professions in demand in Austria in 2023
In Austria, salaries depend not only on the type of activity, but also on length of service. Experienced workers are valued more highly.
- Marketers can expect a starting bid of €2,700. Inexperienced architects will receive the same amount.
- Construction trades are highly valued in Austria. A young technician will be paid a minimum of 3,400 euros. Naturally, we are talking about a specialist with higher education.
- The engineer will receive from 3,500 euros. Crane and excavator operators – at least 2,900 euros.
- Young IT specialists earn good money. Beginning content managers start with a salary of 2,700 euros, and SAP specialists receive at least 3,100.
- A chef’s salary starts at 1,400 €, and will soon start at 2,200.
- In the construction industry, experienced project managers earn at least 5,000 euros per month. Their colleagues in IT are 4,500.
- A doctor’s salary starts from 3,000 EUR and eventually reaches 8,000 or more.
In different cities, specialists in the same specialties receive different rates.
| Professions | Salary per month in EUR |
| Waiter | 1 850 |
| Chef | 2 500 – 2 900 |
| Cleaning woman | 1 750 |
| Hotel manager | 1 900 |
| IT analyst | 3 700 |
| Frontend developer | 4 200 |
| Full stack developer | 5 300 |
| Project Manager | 4 900 |
| Driver | 3 100 |
| Civil Engineer | 3 600 |
| Mechanical Engineer | 3 750 |
| Architect | 4 300 |
| Nurse | 3,000 |
| Dentist | 6,000 – 8,000 |
| Accountant | 2 700 |
| Lawyer | 5,000 |
| Real estate agent | 3 200 |
| Designer | 3 700 |
| Mechanic | 2 400 |
| Translator | 2 700 |
| Journalist | 4 500 |
| Teacher | 2,700 – 3,000 |
| Nanny | 1 500 |
| Kindergartener | 1 400 |
| HR Manager | 5,000 – 6,000 |
| Advocate | From 7 500 |
How does salary depend on length of service?
Tenure and work experience will also affect salary. But these are one of many criteria that affect the salary.
| Length /work experience | % salary growth | Annual salary in euros |
| 0-2 years | 35,000 – 41,000 | |
| 2-5 years | 32% | 52,000 – 54,000 |
| 5-10 years | 36% | 69,000 – 73,000 |
| 10-15 years | 21% | 78,000 – 88,000 |
| 15-20 years | 14% | 96,000 – 100,000 |
| More than 20 years | 9% | More than 110,000 |
How does salary depend on education?
The size of the salary also depends on education, but you need to take into account the place of work and, to a large extent, the field of activity. The data below are approximate values.
| Education | % salary growth depending on education |
| School education | |
| Certificate or diploma | 17% |
| Bachelor degree | 24% |
| Master’s degree | 29% |
| Doctor degree | 23% |
Unemployment rate and number of vacancies in Austria in 2023
The unemployment rate in Austria in 2023 is 5.7%, which is 0.4% lower than in 2022.
And the number of vacancies in Austria in 2023 increased from 128,677 (2022) to 138,200.
Salary taxes in Austria in 2023
Taxation in Austria for individuals with high incomes is quite strict. Residents and non-residents pay income tax.
The rate depends on the amount of income. If it does not reach 11,000 euros in a year, no interest will be charged. The lowest income tax rate is 25%. It is paid by those who have an annual income of 11 to 18 thousand euros.
The amount of income tax depends on the size of the salary:
| Salary EUR | % tax |
| 11,000 – 18,000 | 25 |
| 18,000 – 31,000 | 35 |
| 31,000 – 60,000 | 42 |
| 60,000 – 90,000 | 48 |
| 90,000 – 1,000,000 | 50 |
| Above 1,000,000 | 55 |
Conclusion
Many citizens of Russia, other CIS and EU countries move to Austria because the standard of living here is better than in their home country and jobs are more accessible.
- An important factor is that EU citizens do not need to obtain a work permit or visa.
- Citizens of Russia and from other countries outside the EU will need a residence permit or a Red-White-Red Card to legally live and work in Austria.
It is also necessary that:
- The employer company acted as a sponsor for the issuance of this card.
- Meet the minimum monthly salary thresholds to receive it.
For example, to receive a card, a single expat must have a salary of at least 1,100 EUR, and married couples must earn at least 1,700 EUR.